This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 01811077.5-1526, filed Nov. 8, 2001, the disclosure of which, together with the disclosure of each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application mentioned herein, is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a device for the insertion and gathering of printed products in pocket-type receiving containers which extend lateral to the conveying direction and are provided with feed openings at the upper end. The containers are moved one behind the other on a conveying apparatus that circulates around two deflection wheels. Between a feed station for feeding in the printed products and a removal station for removing the printed products with inserts, the device is provided with a stationary opening device that opens the printed products which are supplied fold first by a feeding device.
Devices of this type are also called insertion machines and are used, for example, in newspaper production.
An arrangement of this type, as defined in European Patent 0 336 062 B1, is provided with an opening device that is effective on the side of a rotationally driven twin chain wheel and following a main product inserting station. With this type of arrangement, the printed products supplied for opening cannot settle down because of the short moving distance to the opening device, so that the opening operation cannot be carried out reliably.
This type of device for opening printed products furthermore can be realized only in connection with a drive wheel or a deflection wheel and is very costly if several opening stations are arranged along a conveying apparatus.
It is an object of the invention to create a device of the aforementioned type which eliminates the previously mentioned disadvantages and which meets the requirements of modern-day processing.
This object is solved by exemplary embodiments of the invention which provide that the opening device is installed behind a first deflection wheel, as seen in a conveying direction.
Embodiment of the invention provide an insertion and gathering device for folded products. The device has two deflection wheels arranged at a distance to one another and a conveying apparatus which circulates around the two deflection wheels. Receiving containers are coupled to the conveying apparatus and are moved along successively by the conveying apparatus in a conveying direction, the receiving containers each having a pocket with an open upper end constituting an insertion opening and extending crosswise to the conveying direction. A feed station is provided for feeding the folded products into the insertion openings of the receiving devices fold first, and a removal station is provided for removing folded products from the receiving devices. A stationary opening device for opening the folded products is arranged between the feed station and the removal station and downstream of the first deflection wheel as seen in the conveying direction.